Razor-blade stropper.



W. W. TROWBRIDGE & G. H. WHEELOGK. RAZOR BLADE STROPPER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.12,1909.

940,412. Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

WITNESSES- 5 M/ 2 .INVENT 1:155,

w wg

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM WALDO TROWBRIDGE. AND CHARLES HAROLD -WHEELOCK, 0F NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

RAZOR-BLADE STBOPPER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM WALDO TROWBRIDGE and CHARLES HAROLD WHEE- noolgof Newton, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain .new and useful Improvements in Razor-Blade Stroppers, of which the following is a specification- This invention relates to devices for holding and manipulating detachable blades of so-called safety razors while the same are being stropped. v

The invention has for its object to provide a blade stropper adapted to hold various forms of safety razor blades, including a blade with a thickened back, such as is used in the Star safety razor, or a blade with fiat parallel sides, such as that used in the Gillette and other well-known safety razors, provision being made for exposing both edges of a double-edged blade so that both edges may be stropped at one operation.

The invention consists in the improvements which we will now proceed to describe and claim. I

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,-Figure 1 repre sents a side elevation of a blade stropper embodying our invention. Fig. 2 represents an edge view of the same, showing the jaws separated. Fig. 3 represents a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the jaws closed. Fig. 4 represents a section on line H of-Fig. 2. Fig. 5 represents a section on line 55 of Fig. 3, showing a double-edged fiat sided blade held by the device. Fig. 6 represents a view similar to Fig. 5, showing a blade of the Star razor type.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

Our improved blade stropper comprises two resilient sheet metal plates a, a, each of which has a longitudinal central boss 12, and two blade-clamping jaws 13 projecting in opposite directions from the boss 12.

Each plate is provided with a shank 14, which shanks are extended from the jaws sufliciently to form a handle, the outer end portions of the shanks beingrigidly connected, while their portions which are adjacent to the jaws are separated by a slot, 16 which permits-the said shank portions and the jaws to be separated, as indicated in Fi s.-2'-'a-nd 4', the separation being preferabFy caused by the resilience of the shanks.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 12, 1909.

Patented Nov. 16, 1909. Serial No. 482,894.

Means are provided for forcing the plates operate in grasping a razor blade interposed between them. As here shown, the resilient portions of the shanks are provided with inclines 17 which cooperate with a ring or band 18, which is adapted to slide from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to that shown in Fig. 3, and thus force the plates toward each other, the band having a sufficient frictional hold upon the shanks to hold the jaws in the adjustment shown in Fig. 3.

The above described construction provides two pairs of blade-clamping jaws projecting in opposite directions from the bosses 12, so that the device is adapted to grasp a fiat double-edged razor blade 19 of the Gillette type, as shown in Fig. 5, thewidth of the plates a being less than the width of the blade so'that both edges of the blade are exposed sufiiciently to enable them to be stropped.

The bosses stiffen the plates sufliciently to enable the jaws to bear firmly throughout their entire length on the interposed blade. Said bosses also form a chamber between the two pairs of blades adapted to receive the thickened back of a razor blade 20 of the Star razor type, said blade having a single cutting edgewhich projects from one pair of the jaws, as shown in Fi 6, the jaws of the other pair being enabled by a torsional movement of the plates a to meet so that the inner surfaces of the bosses at their junction with the meeting jaws, form an abutment for the back of the blade 20. The support thus provided for the back of the blade enables a single pair of jaws to hold the blade with suflicient firmness to prevent its accidental displacement during the stropping operation.

We prefer to form the plates in cross section as shown in Fig. 4, the junction between the bosses and plates of one pair forming angles 21 which meet to formthe support or abutment for the back of the blade 20. The formation of the plates at the junction of the bosses with the opposite pair of jaws is preferably such that curved surfaces 22 are provided, these conforming approximately to the concave sides of the blade-20.

'When a double-edged blade 19 is held by the device, the frictional engagement between the pairs of jaws and blade is suflicient to prevent accidental displacement of the blade during the strnpping operation.

The construction is. preferably such that when there is no blade between the jaws,-a movement of the ring 18 from the position shown in Fig. 2,'to that shown in Fig. 3, will press the jaws of each pair into yielding contact with each other, the .jaws being therefore adapted to occupy different planes and angles so that the jaws of one pair may conform to the inclined sides of a S tar razor blade, while the jaws of the other-pair are in contact with each other as shown in Fig. 6..

We claim:

A razor blade stropper comprising a pair of resilient plates, each having a central hollow boss and two blade-clamping jaws at opposite sides of the boss, the resilience of the plates permitting one pair of jaws to meet,

WILLIAM WALDO TROWBRIDGE. CHARLES HAROLD WHEELOGK.

Witnesses:

C. F. BROWN, JAS. H. CHURCHILL. 

